Chapter 6: The Hunt Begins

The library was ancient, a crumbling relic tucked away in a forgotten part of the city. Celia had always heard stories about places like this—old, untouched archives filled with arcane knowledge, sealed from the modern world. As she and Lucian approached, the air around them felt charged, as if the building itself was aware of their presence.

Evan, ever the strategist, hung back, scanning the perimeter. "Looks abandoned, but appearances can deceive," he murmured.

Lucian's gaze was fixed on the looming structure. "The tome we're looking for is hidden in the restricted archives. But the government knows about it. They'll be here soon."

Celia felt the weight of his words, the urgency pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. Every moment counted now. If the government got their hands on the *Heart of the Moon*, the power balance would shift dangerously—and Lucian's pack would be wiped out.

"Let's move," she whispered, leading the way.

The inside of the library was just as eerie as the outside. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by thin beams of moonlight filtering through broken windows. Rows upon rows of books stretched into the darkness, but it was the silence that unnerved Celia the most. It was too quiet, too still.

As they made their way deeper, past ancient shelves and forgotten manuscripts, Lucian stopped. His eyes sharpened as he turned to Celia.

"We're not alone."

Celia's hand instinctively went to the blade at her side. "Where?"

Lucian's senses were heightened, his body tensed. "Up ahead. They're moving fast. We need to find the tome before they do."

Evan sprinted ahead, his fingers flying over his tablet as he pulled up a digital map of the library. "The restricted archives should be through that door," he said, pointing to a large, ornate set of double doors at the end of the hall.

Without hesitation, they moved toward it, but before they could reach the door, the distinct clatter of footsteps echoed through the library. Government agents, armed and deadly, flooded the space, blocking their path.

Lucian growled low in his throat. "Too late."

Celia cursed under her breath as she pulled her blade free. "We'll have to fight our way through."

The first agent lunged at Lucian, gun aimed, but Lucian moved faster, knocking him to the ground with brutal efficiency. The second agent turned on Celia, but she was ready, deflecting his strike and disarming him with a swift, practiced motion.

Evan, meanwhile, was working frantically to unlock the doors. "I need a few more seconds!" he shouted over the chaos.

Celia ducked under another swing, her blade slicing through the air as she incapacitated another agent. Lucian fought with a deadly grace, shifting in and out of his werewolf form to unleash devastating attacks.

But they were outnumbered, and more agents were pouring into the library.

"Evan, hurry!" Celia shouted, feeling the pressure mounting.

Just as the agents closed in, the doors to the restricted archives swung open. "Got it!" Evan yelled, rushing inside.

Celia and Lucian followed, slamming the heavy doors shut behind them. They could hear the agents pounding against the wood, but for the moment, they had a brief reprieve.

The restricted archives were massive, towering shelves filled with ancient books, scrolls, and tomes. The air was thick with dust and age, but there was an undeniable sense of power in the room.

Lucian immediately began scanning the shelves. "It should be here somewhere," he said, his voice strained with urgency.

Celia joined him, searching frantically. Time was running out.

Suddenly, a book caught her eye. It was tucked away, half-hidden among a row of larger volumes. Its cover was dark, almost blending in with the shadows, but there was something about it—a strange, magnetic pull.

"This is it," she whispered, pulling the book free.

As soon as she touched it, a pulse of energy shot through her, almost knocking her off her feet. Lucian was beside her in an instant, steadying her as she opened the ancient tome.

Inside, the pages were filled with strange symbols and markings, unlike anything Celia had ever seen before. But one thing was clear—the *Heart of the Moon* was real, and it was more dangerous than they could have imagined.

"We need to decipher this," Lucian said, his voice tight with urgency. "Before they break through."

But as Celia flipped to the final page, her heart stopped.

There, scrawled in the corner, was the unmistakable Blackwood family crest—her family had known about this all along.

The doors behind them shuddered, cracks forming as the agents began to break through. But it wasn't just the imminent danger that had her reeling—it was the realization that her entire life, her family's legacy, was built on a lie.

"Celia," Lucian whispered, his eyes full of concern.

But she couldn't respond, the weight of the revelation pressing down on her as the doors splintered, and the battle began again.